Movie review: For Greater Glory’ is less than glorious

"For Greater Glory" chronicles the Mexican government’s brutal suppression of Roman Catholicism during the Cristero War from 1926 to 1929.

Bob Tremblay

Woe to anyone who says a discouraging word about “For Greater Glory.”

Critics will be labeled “communists,” “atheists,” “secularists,” or, worst of all, “liberals” by its supporters. These include those who have actually seen the film and those who don’t have to see to believe.

The movie’s cinematic merit won’t matter a lick when one considers the subject matter deals with government persecution of religion. In this case, it’s the Mexican government’s brutal suppression of Roman Catholicism during the Cristero War from 1926 to 1929. Let’s throw a gallon or two of kerosene on today’s incendiary church vs. state debate.

While a film critic shouldn’t let his or her own opinion on the subject factor in the review, he or she shouldn’t dismiss discussing the cinematic factors such as directing, writing and acting that make a movie worthwhile or not. Even in a film extolled the glories of secularism, it should be judged on whether those “glories” were portrayed in an effective way.

For the record, I’m a Catholic who went to a parochial school for eight years (former altar boy), so at least don’t accuse me of being godless. Clueless I can accept.

Anyway, as you can probably discern from this preamble, “For Greater Glory” didn’t transport me to a celestial plane.

For starters, at 2 hours and 15 minutes, the film is too long, and you can feel the drag. Next, the movie contains too many characters (I challenge you to keep track of them all) and too many back stories (so many that they nearly overwhelm the main story).

The film does field an impressive cast: Andy Garcia as General Enrique Gorostieta, Eva Longoria as Tulita, the general’s wife, Peter O’Toole as Father Christopher, Catalina Sandino Morena as Adriana, Ruben Blades as President Plutarco Elias Calles and Bruce Greenwood as Ambassador Dwight Morrow.

Whether you like the film or not, it should at least provide some education, exposing you to a part of Mexican history that I assume most Americans aren’t familiar with. I’ll plead ignorance. I had never heard of the Cristero War, and found it mind-boggling that the government of a mostly Catholic country would declare war on Catholicism, shutting down services, killing priests and destroying churches.

You may wonder why the government acted the way it did. Is it a simple matter of secularism run amok? Anyone expecting a evenhanded portrayal of the subject may have to look elsewhere.

Dean Wright, making his directorial debut here (his background is in visual effects), and screenwriter Michael Love paint the government as the face of evil.

Its anticlericalism eventually leads opponents to civil disobedience and then armed conflict, pitting the religious rebels, the Cristeros, against the government’s wicked Federales.

At least there’s some nuance among the Cristeros as not all of them are saints, though after the war, several do get canonized. Gorostieta, for example, isn’t very religious. Think he’ll see the light by the final reel? And what will Father Vega do if the pope seeks a truce.

Then there’s the young Jose, who sees enough atrocities that he joins the Cristeros. Now if only the film had concentrated on Jose or Gorostieta or Ramirez or Vega rather than lump them all together, think how much more dramatically taut the movie would have been.

Sure, historians would have complained but when has a devout adherence to history ever been the driving force behind movies, at least great movies? Think “The Alamo” is historically accurate?

I would have focused on the relationship between Gorostieta and Jose. It’s the film most effective emotionally, thanks to Garcia and Kuri.

Viewers may also get tired of all the speeches lauding faith and freedom. Many border on cliches. “Stand up for what you believe,” says one character. “Fight with honor and dignity,” says another.

I did like Gorostieta’s line, “Men will fire bullets, but God decides where they land.”

Viewers should know that this R-rated film contains plenty of violence complete with shootings, hangings, stabbings and torture. Note that the bad guys die quickly while the good guys die slowly. And in case you’re wondering if should feel sad or worried, James Horner’s overblown score lets you know.

So, risking damnation, excommunication and vituperation, “For Greater Glory” could have been a lot greater. History, even controversial history, shouldn’t so confusing and fragmented. Let’s get it together, for heaven’s sake.

The film opens Friday.

Grade: C+

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